Liquid seal



Patented Dec. 9, 1930 'y UNITEDk STATES PATENT oFPicl-z CHARLES THOMAS KEMP AND NORMAN EDWARD RYCKMAN, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, ABSIGNORS TO THE COFFIELD WASHER COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED,

Ol' HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA LIQUID SEAL Application led May 3, 1926. Serial No. 106,489.

Our invention relates to improvements in liquid seals and has particular reference to Washing machines of the type employing a stationary tub having Van oscillatory agitator therein, and the object of our invention is to provide a water tight seal between the agitator supporting shaft and the sleeve in which it is contained. A further object of our invention is to construct such seal of a minimum number of parts which are readily accessible and can be quickly taken asunder if necessary.

Our device consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through our seal assembly showing it supporting a fragmentary portion of an agitator.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a head rigidly carried on the top of the shaft of our seal assembly, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views. In Fig. 1 which shows our sealing device applied to a washing machine, 1 is a frag- .,mentary portion of the washing machine tub, and 6 is a divided casing or housing removably mounted underneath the tub. This casing comprises the top or cover portion 7 and the bottom portion 8, such portions beingbolted together.

` he top portion 7 of the casing 6 is formed with a raised cylindrical ortion 12 in which is provided a central ori ce 13, and immediately below this threaded orifice 13 is a bearing orifice 14 in the lower half 8 of the cas- 15 is a cylindrical sleeve threaded at its lower end 16 to engage within the threaded orifice 13 in the casing. Adjacent to its lower end the sleeve 15 carries a flange 17.

' The portion of the sleeve 15 above the flange 17 is of three different diameters at 18, 19 and 20 as will be later referred to.

The sleeve 15 is mounted centrally and vertically within the tub, the portion 16 extending downwardly through an orifice 21' tween this flange and the casing andthe sleeve is secured rigidly in position andvprojects centrally and vertically into the tub.

A packlng washer 22 is placed between the flange 17 andthe tub to prevent leakage.

To .further secure the sleeve in position with respect to the casing, a kT-shaped brass pin 23 isforced against the threaded portion 16 of the sleeve by aset screw 24.

Journalled within the sleeve 15 is an agitator shaft 25 having an enlarged head 26 rigidly mounted upon the top thereof'. The lower portion of this head is of cylindrical form at 28 and the upper portion is of rectangular cross-section at 29 so as to provide a flat sided upper end for the head with upwardly disposed shoulders 30. The under face ofthe head 26 is cut and bevelled at 31 and this bevelled portion rests upon the up r end of the `sleeve 15 which is correspon ingly bevelled.

The lower en d ofthe shaft'25 extends through the casing 6 and is journalled in the orifice 14 in the bottom of the casing. A portion 32 of the shaft within the casing 6 is of square cross-section. f'

Mounted upon the shaft 25 so as to abut the lower end of the sleeve 15 is a washer 33 which is held in contact with the sleeve by a pin 34. It will thus be seen that the shaft is supported within the sleeve 15 by.

the head 26 and is prevented from movement upwardly in the sleeve by the engagement of the washer 33 against the lower end of the sleeve. Y

The upper portion 18 of the sleeve 15 is spaced away from the shaft 251:0 provide a cylindrical chamber 35. The sleeve is restricted in diameter at the junction y36 of the upper portion 18 with the central portion 19 and a gland member 37 is mounted therein. This gland member 37 provides a lateral bearing for the shaft yat this point.

The portion 20 of the sleeve forms a lateral bearing for the shaft 25 adjacent to the lower end of the sleeve and the external diameter of this portion 2O is slightl greater than that of the portion 18.

A washer 38 is contained within the annular chamber 35 and is slidably mounted upon the shaft 25, and between this washer and the gland member 37 a coiled spring 39 is furnished.

Between the washer 38 and the under face of the head 26 we provide a compressible spiral packing 40, and it will be apparent that as the spring 39 acts to compress this packing the inclined face of the head 26 will force the packing inwardly against the shaft and effectively prevent leakage at this point.

An agitator is mounted within the tub and comprises a flat circular base portion 42 and an upwardly extending sleeve portion 43 and fins 44.

lhe upper end of the sleeve portion 43 is formed with a rectangular orifice 45 into which the rectangular portion 29 of the head 26 is adapted to enter so that the agitator rotates with the shaft. As the external diameter of the portion 18 of the sleeve 15 is less than that of the portion 2O the sleeve portion 43 does not contact with the portion 18 but only with the portion 20.

Upon the square portion 32 of the shaft 25 we slidably mount a gear 46 having a square orifice therein through which the square portion 32 of the shaft extends.

A quadrant gear 47 is rigidly secured to a shaft 48 by means of a pin 49, and this shaft 48 is journalled within the top and bottom of the casing 6.

This quadrant gear is mounted for co-operative engagement with the gear 46. is an oscillatable connecting rod operatively connected to the quadrant gear 47 by the pin 56. As the quadrant 47 is oscillating by the rod it will through its engagement with the gear 46 oscillate the shaft 25.

A shiftinor lever is journalled in the casing and upon this lever within the casing is pinned a yoke 61, the ends of which engage within an annular groove 62 in the gear 46.

When the shifting lever 61 is partially rotated 'the yoke 61 is operated to slide the Oear 46 into and out of engagement with the quadrant 47.

Since the shaft 25 is prevented from movel upon at all times to retain the liquid in which it is contained against leakage.

Vhat we claim as our invention is: ln a liquid seal of the character described, the combination with an upwardly extending sleeve and a shaft journalled therein, of a spiral gland packing wrapped around the shaft interiorly of the sleeve, a head secured to the upper end of the shaft and having its lower face resting upon the top of the sleeve in contact with the upper end of the` spiral packing, a gland member surrounding the shaft underneath the packing and held against downward movement by the sleeve, and a spiral spring surrounding the shaft in` tei-posed between the gland memberl and the lower face of the packing. CHARLES THOMAS KEMP. NORMAN EDVARD RYCKMAN. 

